Dublin Pilgrims travel to Rio to meet Pope Francis

30 young people from the Archdiocese of Dublin left for Brazil this morning where they will join over two and a half million young Catholics for World Youth Day next weekend.

In his first trip abroad since his pontificate began, Pope Francis will lead the young people in this enormous faith festival of prayer and music culminating in a huge open air Mass next Sunday.

Dublin’s Archbishop Diarmuid Martin will lead the Dublin group in pilgrimage to Rio while at home, hundreds of young Catholics will be taking part in a parallel two day festival of faith Rio in Dublin which be linking up live with those Brazil throughout the weekend. Dublin pilgrims will be able to join in the main events in Brazil including the final Mass with Pope Francis via live links to Rio de Janeiro.

Beginning on Friday 26 July and running for the weekend, Rio in Dublin has a strong social justice programme at its heart. In collaboration with Crosscare, the social care agency of the Archdiocese of Dublin, participants will be spending time with some of the many support programmes run by the Capuchins and Crosscare for the city’s homeless population. Magis Ireland, the Jesuit Young Adult Ministry will be running a social immersion programme on the Friday encouraging young people to engage with social issues form a faith perspective, in the areas of homelessness, immigration and emigration, and those living with special needs and disability.

Rio in Dublin will begin with young people gathering in four locations; Saint Andrew’s Church, Westland Row, Heuston Station, Saint Mary’s Pro-Cathedral and Gardiner Street and will walk in pilgrimage to Church Street. On arrival, they will be welcomed with music and dance led by Brazilian community.

A programme of prayer, reflections, music and “live” links to Rio will then begin and continue through the night and over the weekend. During the night there will be workshops on prayer, also some groups will lead guided prayer in the Church until Dawn.

On Sunday (July 28), young people will take part in Morning Prayer and catechesis led by Capuchin Community with music will be by the Dublin Gospel Choir. Members of the Brazilian and Portuguese communities in Dublin will lead the main Catechesis in Dublin and one of the highlights of the weekend will be live links with the concluding ighlihghighMass with Pope Francis in Brazil.

Full details on events in Dublin and Rio and blogs from pilgrims are available on www.dublindiocese.ie

Media Contact: Annette O Donnell, 087 8143462

Photos from this morning’s departure available from: John McElroy photos, 087 2416985